If someone gives you a motorhome, trailer, or 5th wheel then you have gotten a really good deal! Praise the Lord!

This has happened and is certainly within God’s power to provide in this manner if He so wills.  So, you should let your church and Pastor know God is directing you into this ministry, and ask people to pray about your need for a travel vehicle.  People have been known to “give” rigs when they know there is a need.

However, God may not choose to provide this way in your situation, so you will need to research buying a unit.  You can get good deals, but you have to be willing to work at it.  Research, research, research!!  In order to be confident of a good deal, then you must know what the “market” bares on these vehicles.

Start buying RV Trader magazines that list RVs, trailers, and 5th wheels.  Check RV Trader Online to help with your research.  Learn about the different units available and what prices people are asking for them.  Call any of the listed classifieds, talking to the owners, finding out as much info as possible.  If they have already sold their unit, inquire how much they sold it for.  After some research, you will get a feel for an appropriate price range for certain RVs, etc.  Don’t hesitate to look at and drive some.  Visit RV dealerships and begin looking at everything. This can be overwhelming, so take your time and consider all options.

Talk to people that have owned RVs, get their opinions on the different models.  Go to RV shows.  Take your time and research the market.   If you are not very familiar with RV’s it would be very unusual for you to find the best deal on the very first RV you look at.  Sometimes people are too quick to make a decision when they are not very informed about what is available and what the appropriate prices should be.  Never buy for the asking price!  You might want to “negotiate” with a dealer on a rig or two and see how low they will go.  You can do the same with a private owner.

When negotiating with dealers, you can usually reduce the asking price by 20% to 30% or more without much trouble. The discount will vary depending on the retail price of the unit, new versus used, etc.

There’s more negotiating room on new higher-end units, than used or lower end rigs. Sometimes private owners are upside down (meaning, they owe more than the unit is worth), trying to sell for what is owed with minimal if any profit can equate to a larger price than the market bares.  This is why the research is needed.  You have to be aware of the market value of the unit you’re interested in if you want a good deal.

Owners may have personal situations that make them very motivated to sell, so great deals can be found.

The answer to the question is – you can be confident of getting a “fair” deal when you have researched the market and know the price you have paid is reasonable based on the research you have done.

It will be worth your time when you discover you have saved thousands of dollars over what you would have paid if you had made a quick and emotional decision.